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User Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by terrabyte:

I didn't get to see the pour, and the waitress served it in the wrong glass, so I don't know what the head looked like. At least the color didn't change, and that was a deep chocolate brown, lightening on the edges to a dark yellow-brown.

The aroma was a bit muted in the bar, I could pick up hints of dark fruits and spices.

Flavor: Throughout my time here at BA writing and reading reviews, I have often seen mention in other reviews about "banana or bubblegum" flavors. I know what they're talking about, but could never get my brain to agree that the confusing spice I was tasting, tasted like bananas.

However, this beer DOES taste like bananas. Chocolate covered bananas and cherries-in-cream come to mind. Swimming in a warming & inviting alcoholic bite, spiced with cloves and more. Extremely complex, each ingredient seems to stand out or merge together as you drink.

Mouthful was also a nice treat. The smooth creaminess foamed just enough to enhance the flavors.

Drinkability is high, especially for the alcoholic content. I can see why this beer gets so much attention and reverence. My only complaint about the night had nothing to do with the beer. It started off with the lack of info. There was a $30 all you can eat Cajun Buffet in the basement, and first dibs on the beer (which I found out only after getting there with a wife that hates cajun food. What were we going to do, sit at different tables? They wouldn't let her in without paying $30). I was told to come early because otherwise it would be too packed (not true) and they might run out (not true) and that it would start at 7 pm (not true) and they'll tap the beer any minute now (not true). Basically I waited around for 3 hours, trying to talk my wife into staying just 5 minutes more for a beer I could have had any later day that week. Despite that, I'm looking forward to next year (without the wife, and a few new plans)

&lt;&lt;Note: This was reviewed opening night quite a while ago. Typed in today from notes and fond memories&gt;&gt;

More User Reviews:

I waited 364 days to try this beer again and it was never far from my thoughts during that entire time. Then, on Tuesday, just as my hopes and anxiousness were peaking, I was forced to wait some more as the Great Dane staff, a Zeidaco band, a voodoo priest, and a bunch of New Orleans street performers carried the barrel all over the establishment. Then I had to wait for the lines to be cleaned and for the beer to settle The whole experience was a little unnerving and Im thinking about going to talk to a therapist about it. If it hadnt have been for all the moral support I received from the 8 or 10 Bas there with me that night, I might have cracked. Anyways, I did eventually get my beer and it was certainly worth the wait, and though different from last years version this beer did not disappoint.

Appearance: Murky, totally nubilous, I mean this beer is the definition of opaque. Color wise it approaches a maroon brown but the haze reflects ruby and purple specs of light making this one pretty beer.

Aroma: The strength of the aroma is impressive. I could smell banana and chocolate from a good 3 or 4 feet away from the glass. Lots of clove and some touches of cherry are present too. Any booze is completely covered.

Taste: Damn fine chocolate chip banana bread with a sweet fruity icing on top and walnuts sprinkled over that. Just delicious.

Feel: Thick, succulent even pulpy, well carbonated, and frothy. Full bodied, not that warming despite a noticeable (on the senses) booze presence. Wonderful.

Murky dark brown color with an off-white head that lasted and left good lacing. Smell was yeasty, plenty of clove, chocolate and banana. Taste had a little extra yeastiness to it that makes me detract a small amount, otherwise it's very complex and delightful. There were notes of caramel, chocolate, and of course banana and clove. Full bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. A darn good beer certainly worth trying; I'd get more next time, but I'm sure it will be long gone by then.

The river discharges a turbid, opaque rusty-brown fluid, with a voluminous, yellow-tan froth upon the surface.
A menacing sight indeed, as we load the raft. Leaving behind the shore&#8217;s gentle scents of chocolate cloves and raisins.
Upon departure, the raft fills, ankle-deep, with a liquid banana essence. The river is tame now, lightly fruity and navigable. Splashes of cloves hit our faces, but things are otherwise calm.
We traverse down a long river corridor of milk chocolate. Safe traveling. The river is benign as we navigate a sharp corner.

It hit us before we could turn back.

Careening off a sharp walnut boulder, the raft is flushed through the brandy-soaked rapids. The vessel sags and takes on bitter chocolate water. The group remains breathless, as the perilous plum eddies are negotiated. Flows of clove and black pepper rush in from both sides. A towering wave of whiskey-laden peanut skins crashes down. Raw grain floods the boat. Finally, a wall of vanilla sends us underwater.

While submerged, I open my eyes and witness the woody hulls of boats that met their demise on this very stretch of water. A feeling of suffocation and unworthiness assaults my senses.

***GASP***

Surfacing now, I am relieved that the group is still with me. Apparently, our craft had cleared the treacherous section of water. We had succeeded, and were overcome with exhilaration. Just a thick, but manageable river ahead. Heavy water, but still and safe.

Basking in the afterglow of safety, I look to the right and see the wrecked remains of a raft from a time past. Upon its bow resides the label &#8220;Aventinus&#8221;.

massive hefe glass full served on fat tuesday at bockfest (i think the 2nd served off the tap). lots of madison BA's out to enjoy the release, unfortunately i was in a massive rush to go see Sparklehorse at the high noon saloon

reviews by cokes, dapeculier, and stonecrusher have always made me wonder about this peculier beer

appearance: anxiously awaited and finally served in a tall hefe glass...big hazy body, bright amber-mahogany, muddy, creamy beige head. fantastic lacing. i dont know what i was really expecting with a beer as ambiguous as this, but i was glad they gave me a huge glass of it

taste: so this is it...the infamous john jacob. the journey ends here as far as doppel dunkel hefe-weizen bocks go. For my money, there really is no greater doppel dunkel hefe-weizen bock in the land. flavors dominated by banana yeast characteristics, spiced clove, cherry, chocolate covered fruit, nutty, alcohol comes through in a pleasant way. Great beer, Great Dane

Was given to me with a good one fourth inch head and a nice dark brown color, very dark. The head falls into a very thin one, but it did have a good strong lacing. The smell is very sweet with dark fruit, cloves, and a big aroma of banana. It's like an Aventinus, but much sweeter. The taste has the sweet flavors with dark fruit, I get the taste of plums. The banana flavors are very prevalent as well. The mouthfeel was a bit over carbonated, not so smooth. Overall, the drinkability is nice I would order this once in a while if it were available and I lived in the Madison area.

On tap at the dane for the blessing of the bocks. Will not fill growlers of the bocks, unfortunately.
Pours out a murky brownish red with a nice tannish head. Smell is not too strong, but bananas, chocolate, spices, and sweet malt can vaguely be detected. Taste is amazing. Boiled down to it, it tastes like chocolate banana bread, but way more complex than that. Some nice red fruit and a spiciness to it makes this one drinkable brew. Very nice weizenbock that exceeds any other wezenbocks i've ever had. Very nice brew, good way to bring in lent, by drinking a whole lot of strong beer. This is a treat though, drink it while you can, it never lasts long enough.

I tried to have this wonderful elixer this past Tuesday at the Great Danes Bockfest, but due to a bartender mixup, I was given the wrong beer and went away disappointed and somewhat unimpressed with whatever mystery beer they gave me. Doing some research today and discovered the error when reading new reviews of this fine beer did not match the description of the beer I had a couple nights ago. I called down and lo and behold the John Jacob was still available so off I went to the Dane again tonight...this time with much, much different results...

Appearance- Served in a pint glass, this was a nice shade of opaque brown that reminded me of an unfiltered Cider you get straight from the orchard, only a few shades darker. Had a delicate head that slowly disappeared over the course of sampling.
Smell- Heavenly. Banana, spice, faint chocolate, cherries, and apples.
Taste- If it smelled good, it tasted even better.... The previous reviews nailed it... Like drinking liquid chocolate banana bread...with spice...and a nice yeasty, warm feeling middle with a finish tasting faintly of apples.
Mouthfeel- Perfectly middle of the road...not thin, yet not thick, and the carbonation was a pleasure. Smooooth.
Drinkability- Not sure of the alcohol content of this as it's masked so well by the taste. Got a nice warm feeling to it as you get to the end of the glass, so you know it's there. Maybe a bit on the sweet side to drink too much of this in one sitting, but god knows I'd love the chance to try this beer year round.
Digs

This was my first beer of the night to celebrate the Fat Tuesday festivities and blessing of the bock.

The lighting in the basement of the Dane was pretty dark, but from what I could tell this pours a hazy brownish color with some mahogany notes on the edges. As someone else mentioned, it basically looks like unfiltered cider. Has quite a retentive head that never truly disappeared.

The aroma was somewhat subdued but seemed to consist primarily of malts, dark fruits and just a hint of spice.

The flavor was amazingly complex. Being my first Weizenbock I wasn't sure what to expect, but as the bartender explained, this really does taste uncannily like chocolate bananas. But there really is so much more going on here, from the robust malt profile and grains to the estery dark fruits and banana bread yeastiness.

Velvety smooth mouthfeel on this, with some chewability. Very well carbonated. I'm so glad I finally got to try this beer, it really did live up to my expectations. I was told this ran at 8% ABV so considering that, the lack of alcohol evident when I drink this is astounding. This beer goes down so easily.

Murky chocolate Labrador brown, fading to lighter brown, almost gold, at the edges of the glass. The small cap was toasted tan in color and was nicely creamy. I was surprised at how much lace was present. Although the initially solid sheet began to rip and tear with drinking, it was still a nice piece of eye candy. Tough call here, but given the color and shading of the beer, I'm going to go with the higher score.

The nose, while good, gave little indication of what my taste buds were in for. It was brown malty, bruised fruity and lightly spicy. All in all, wholly appropriate for the style. Warming brought about the hoped for increase in intensity.

JJJS was phenomenal beer and may be the best weizenbock that I've ever had. I certainly can't remember a better one. It was amazingly complex, as all good weizenbocks are, and was insanely drinkable. If I didn't have such a long drive ahead of me, I would have downed several more pints.

My first mouthfeel was one of those 'wow' experiences that we all crave. The beer was sweet and tangy and spicy at once. The flavor profile was along of the lines of chocolate-covered bananas and apples with plenty of clove spice. That doesn't sound very good as food, but as beer it was transcendent.

Each member of the flavor profile shined more brightly in the spotlight of attention. I found myself alternately isolating each individual flavor and allowing the entire glorious exilir to wash over my tongue. I'm sure there are others, but this is a beer that proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Great Dane's brewers know what the hell they're doing.

The mouthfeel was both silky smooth and lightly chewy. The latter was especially noted on the sticky, lingering finish. If I feel like being picky, I'd like to see a bit more heft and a slight decrease in carbonation. Having said that, both moved in the desired directions over time.

This may be the longest name of any beer I've ever had. It's a memorable one as well. I wouldn't care if they called it Generic Ale, JJJS is an amazing concoction that deserves to be brewed year-round. Assuming that it won't be, I think I'll time all future trips to Madison around its availability. Highly recommended.